Teens Rhiannon Godfrey and Sam Arkut to go head-to-head in Open Mic battle

TWO teenagers from East Yorkshire are going head-to-head in a national competition which could see them perform at the O2 Arena in London.

Rhiannon Godfrey and Sam Arkut – who both sing, play guitar and write their own material – are competing in the northern area heat of Open Mic UK.

Having already proved their worth in two other rounds, fending off hundreds of other entrants, the pair will compete against performers from across the north of England in the hopes of winning a place in the national final.

If they get through the semi- final heat in Dewsbury on Saturday, they will perform at the O2 Arena in London and be in with a chance of winning a share of £50,000.

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Both teenagers competed in this year's Mail Star Search competition, with Sam coming fourth in the final.

Rhiannon, 18, of North Ferriby, said: "I'm going to perform an acoustic version of Super Bass by Nicki Minaj and my own song Wondering Is Hurting.

"I wrote it when I was 15 and it is the usual love-story kind of song, but it is also about life and what you want to do and where you want to go.

"The Nicki Minaj song is a very different version to the one people are used to – I'm hoping my two choices will go well together."

Sam, 19, of Anlaby, is also planning to sing his own song.

He will be performing The Wayfaring Stranger by Burl Ives and Sitting By The River.

Sam said: "I'll be doing Ed Sheeran's version of The Warfaring Stranger but adding in my own stuff to it as well.

"We only have three-and-a- half minutes and they are very strict on timing, so it will be tough."

Both singers are hopeful of winning a place in the national final, but say the chance to perform at a prestigious venue will be their main goal.

Sam said: "Winning a place at the O2 would be very weird and would probably take some time to sink in – once I got there I would be really buzzing.

"To me, it isn't about winning the competition – to perform at the O2 would be enough."

Rhiannon said: "It would be amazing to get to the O2 – a brilliant opportunity."

The pair, who are both students, have both been performing since they were young.

They have regularly entered competitions and open mic nights.

When they perform at Dewsbury Town Hall on Saturday in the 16 to 20 age category, they will both be vying for just a select few places for the O2.

Rhiannon said: "Entering competitions means you get to meet a lot of people in the industry who can offer advice and get you publicity.

"I think, whether you win or lose, you have to look at every- thing as an opportunity to prove yourself."

Sam said: "Open Mic UK is a really good competition.

"I think one of the best things to do as a musician is to write your own songs."